Overdone

Even after all these years, I still apparently haven't nailed down how to train and rest effectively. I feel like I've been in a slump training-wise since after the Mundial in June. Once I got my black belt, I thought things would pick up, but August was basically a wash for me because of injury (elbow, groin) and travel (Canada, twice). I didn't CrossFit much at all, and I did train, but I didn't train particularly intensely. When I got back from grapplecamp last week, I overdid it and was achy for most of the week.

And I'm sleeping a ton. For me, this usually indicates that I am depressed, but I'm trying to think about it differently in light of the Robb Wolf seminar I attended right when I got back. Robb is a biochemist who, along with Loren Cordain, is the main proponent of the Paleo Diet. He came to Team CrossFit Academy last Saturday and filled my brain with all kinds of crazy useful stuff. But even in light of everything he knows about the effects of diet on health, well-being, athletic performance, mood, genetic conditions, etc, he said that the main takeaway from his talk was that sleep is of utmost importance. 8-9 consecutive hours per night. So I'm trying to take that advice to heart.

Problem is, the more I sleep, the more I want to sleep. I wonder if my body is trying to make up for years of deficit.

Or maybe I'm just getting old. I did turn 40. Usually I don't feel the effects of age--or should I say, I feel better than I ever have in my life--but lately I feel like the sleep is a double-edged sword.

The point is, for the time being, I've lost my competitive edge. I always waffle on the topic of competition anyway, and right now I'm on the soft side of the waffle rather than the crispy one. My black belt instructors say that it can take a couple years to get used to the new color, and I'm guessing that's part of what's happening here too.

The upshot is that I'm feeling more tired and less intense in my training lately. I don't know what's causing it, and I'm trying not to judge it. I suppose I'll just observe it and see where it leads. Right now, I'm gonna take a nap. Happy Labor Day!